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René Lévesque - named "extraordinary Canadian" - from Maclean's

"Péquiste with a Canadian soul" is touted for his bedrock values

TORONTO, Sept. 17 /CNW/ - René Lévesque an "extraordinary Canadian"? Even the suggestion will make many in Canada - and Quebec - bristle. Yet, throughout his political career - and, indeed, even in his attempts to make Quebec a sovereign state - Lévesque demonstrated what are considered bedrock Canadian values: honesty, centrism, a commitment to democracy and non-violence. With groundbreaking transparency and anti-corruption legislation, writes Maclean's Quebec bureau chief Martin Patriquin, Lévesque's Parti Québécois effectively put an end to a political environment long dominated by favouritism and barely concealed fraud. Plus, it ushered in Bill 101 that showed how Québec could assert itself within Canada.

Lévesque, named one of 18 Extraordinary Canadians by Penguin Books, is the subject of Extraordinary Canadians: René Lévesque by Daniel Poliquin. In an excerpt in Maclean's, the author writes about how this great man with the red eyes and the trail of cigarette smoke, changed not only Quebec, but Canada.

About Maclean's:

Maclean's is Canada's only national weekly current affairs magazine. Maclean's enlightens, engages and entertains 2.4 million readers with strong investigative reporting and exclusive stories from leading journalists in the fields of international affairs, social issues, national politics, business and culture. Visit www.macleans.ca.

SOURCE Maclean's

For further information: For further information: Louise Leger, (416) 764-4125, louise.leger@rci.rogers.com